A Stranger In His Land
by itslikenature
Summary: Tealisa Morgan goes to La Push to work as nurse at the local clinic. It’s there that she lands in the middle of myths, legends, and secrets, only to find herself tested in life and love, when she meets Sam Uley.
1. Making My Way

"**QUILEUTE ~ LA PUSH ~ CHALLENGE" Entry**

**Title: A Stranger In His Land**

**Pen Name: itslikenature**

**Beta Name: wolfpull85**

**Genre: Romance/Fantasy**

**Summary: Tealisa Morgan is on her way to La Push to work as nurse at the local clinic. However, due some unforseen events, her life is turned upside down. She lands in the middle of myths, legends, and secrets, only to find herself tested in not only life, but love as well, when she meets Sam Uley. **

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**DISCLAIMER: Twilight characters and related likeness are owned by Stephanie Meyer, Little Brown Publishing. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.**

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Hey guys!! I've been working on a top secret project. This is a completely different story for me and I hope that you will read and fall in love with the characters as I have. I'll explain later, but I hope you don't think I'm a hypocrite when you read this story. :) I know it's getting posted all at once, but those are the rules, so I don't have the privilege of drawing it out sweetly like I like to do. So go read, review, and enjoy and if I get into the contest, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!! I love you all.

I also want to thank my wonderful beta and friend wolfpull85, I luv you too bb!!

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Chapter One

Making My Way

Tealisa's POV

Who knew that when I signed up for the Native American Mission Services after completing RN school I would receive my first job assignment going to La Push, Washington? I had only been out of school for six months when I stumbled upon this opportunity, but I had to admit, I was somewhat concerned going so far from home to a place that, from what I gathered, was not as advanced as my hometown of Sacramento, California.

I had gotten the assignment that no one else wanted, traveling to the Quileute Nation, a small remote Native American Reservation, to work in a clinic there taking new medical equipment and providing medical assistance to the people.

But I was up for a change and a chance to help others, so the first thing I did was some research. Two days before I was scheduled to leave, I printed as much information as I could from the internet, regarding La Push, and the towns nearby. From what I was able to gather, the nearest town would be a thirty-minute drive.

I also searched for information about the Quileute people, but found very little. They were a dwindling group that lived near the ocean and who fished to support their families. Their native language was also becoming extinct, so I printed off as much as I could find about the dialect and thought that I could study it during my down time.

It was the middle of winter in Washington. Therefore, warmer clothing was essential meaning I had to buy warmer clothing, trying to get things ready for the journey. I was also scheduled to meet with the Mission's Coordinator the day before I left to be briefed on my trip and what my duties would be when I got there.

When I arrived at the mission's office, I was nervous as I made my way into the front office. The young lady behind the desk looked up and smiled as I approached.

"Hello. My name is Tealisa Morgan. I'm meeting with Ralph Smotherman regarding the mission assignment in La Push, Washington," I said, and waited while she buzzed Mr. Smotherman on the intercom.

"He will see you now Miss Morgan. He is in the office at the end of the hall," she said, gesturing to my left.

I walked down the hallway and was greeted by Mr. Smotherman as I approached his office.

"Good morning Miss Morgan. Won't you come in and have a seat?" he asked.

"Thank you," I replied, as I sat down in the leather chair in front of his desk and waited for him to begin.

"We are very excited that you have accepted this assignment. This is the first time we have been able to send one of our staff to La Push. I trust you have everything ready for the trip? You will be leaving tomorrow morning," he said with a smile.

"Yes I believe I have everything I'll need."

He and I continued our discussion and I was informed that my pay would be direct deposited into a checking account they had opened for me in the closest town to La Push, which was Forks, the town I had already discovered, which was approximately thirty-minutes from where I would be staying.

Once I had all of my paperwork signed and the last details of my assignment ironed out, I told Mr. Smotherman goodbye, and went back to my apartment to finish packing and get some rest before my early flight out the next morning. The mission's office had arranged for the rest of my belongings to go into storage until I returned.

When I arrived at the airport, the shuttle service from the mission's office helped me unload my luggage and they loaded it on the small plane I would be traveling in to Washington.

Within an hour we were in the air and I felt very uneasy in the small aircraft. I had never flown before, but the elderly pilot assured me that everything was routine and he had flown all over the U.S. on various mission assignments.

Flying across two states in a smaller plane, we had to make one stop for refueling; however, it was a welcomed break so I could get back on the ground for a few minutes. After our stop, the pilot indicated that we would be in La Push within the hour, so I settled in for the remainder of the flight.

I noticed after we had been in the air for some time, the clouds began to increase and before long, the plane began to dip as the clouds folded around us. My stomach dropped several times and I thought I might be sick, but all I could do was pray and hope that this was just some rough weather. That's when I heard an explosion and the smell of smoke filled the small cockpit of the plane. We were going down. I felt fear crush me into my seat. I've never known that feeling before and I hoped I never would again.

The pilot screamed, just as our plane made contact with the tops of the first trees, and then it went down. We moved in slow motion and I watched as the nose of the plane tipped and we began to lean forward in our seats. The only things holding us back were the seatbelts. I stayed in my seat, how I'll never know, but my head hit something in front of me just as we hit the ground.

The pain was unbearable, the smell of blood was everywhere, and my eyes became heavy. I slumped over in my seat, and waited for death to surely take me. I managed to look over to where the pilot was and saw him slumped over the controls to the plane. Then my mind closed, I couldn't fight it anymore, and I lost consciousness.

My head was pounding and I was so cold, but I knew I wasn't dead, for in heaven there would be no pain. I tried as hard as I could to open my eyes and finally after an incredible struggle, I was able to open them for just a moment. That's when I saw him.

He looked like a native god. His lean muscular body was crouched near me and his voice. His voice was deep and rugged, yet comforting. He was trying to get me to answer him, but I couldn't. I watched through heavy eyelids as he used his massive arms to lift and move debris around. He was working his way to me. I wasn't sure why, but I thought he was trying to get me to come with him. One last look at him and I faded back into the darkness.

I heard a sound in my mind but I couldn't quite distinguish what it was. I thought of popcorn or gravel crunching underfoot, but these didn't match the sound. Then I thought of a fire burning and I started to feel the warmth. I was near a fire, maybe a fireplace, so I started searching, until I was able to open my eyes just a bit and turned my head toward the sound and warmth.

There it was a cozy fire in a fireplace and I watched as the flames licked the sides of the wood, turning it gold, and orange, and red. I saw an occasional hint of blue in the flames and thought how tranquil it looked. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my head was too much and I let out a soft groan as the pain made itself evident once again.

"Easy there. Don't go moving too fast," a voice, _that deep voice_, called to me from across the room.

I turned my head to the side, ever so carefully and saw him. The same man I had seen before, sitting in a chair with his arms folded loosely over his broad chest. His face was ruggedly handsome and his skin was a beautiful copper hue. He had short jet black hair and eyebrows and his dark red lips were full and accented his perfectly contoured face and high cheekbones.

I blinked my eyes a few times and reached down to try and push myself up. I was under several blankets, so I started pushing them off but I was suddenly getting cold again. That's when I realized I was in nothing but a bra and underwear.

"Where are my clothes? Did you take my clothes off? Where am I?" I had so many questions but wasn't sure I could even process the answers, but I felt the need to ask.

"I took your clothes off. They were covered in blood. I'm soaking them to get the blood stains out," he said, as he continued to watch me.

I sat up, pulling the blankets up around my shoulders feeling the weight of the man's stare, and realized I was on a couch in what appeared to be a small cabin. To the side of the fireplace, in the recess of the cabin was a small kitchen, and the room we were in appeared to be a living room or den.

"Where am I?" I asked again, as I reached up to touch the side of my head that was aching.

I stopped my movements when I reached what felt like a bandage and felt around my hair, feeling that it was stiff and probably had dried blood in it.

"You're in La Push, Washington. Who are you and where were you going?" the man asked.

"I....I....don't know. I mean, I'm not sure..." and then it hit me.

I didn't know who I was or anything about myself. I've never felt so alone and small in my entire life. Sliding back down on the couch, I turned my head away from the man's gaze and let the hot sting of my tears burn my face, as they silently slid down my cheeks. I tried not to make a sound, but it wasn't long before I could hold it back no longer and I began to sob.

His hands were warm, like sitting too close to the fire, but I welcomed them and the comfort they brought, as I felt him sit down beside me and pull me up onto his chest. He held me there and let me cry in his arms, until I couldn't cry anymore. I slowly rose up to look at him. His eyes were black, like coal and full of compassion as he looked down at me.

"So what do you remember?" he asked, this time with less roughness in his voice.

"I think there was something loud—an explosion and clouds, but then my head hurt," I said, lifting my hand to touch my head again.

"You were in a plane crash. The pilot didn't make it," he said, watching my reaction very closely.

I suddenly found it very difficult to breathe and realized that for whatever reason, I had been spared. I could have been killed too, but I wasn't. I think he realized what was going through my head as he pulled me back to his chest again and rubbed my shoulder that was now exposed.

"What am I going to do? I have no place to go and I have no idea why I'm here," I whispered, mostly to myself, but it must have been audible. He stiffened under my weight then sat very still like he was thinking.

"Don't worry. We'll figure something out. Right now you need to rest," he said, as he slid off the couch and lowered me back down. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next day I was getting tired of lying there. I had to get up and move around. My legs and arms were stiff, so I looked around, realized I was alone, got up wrapping a blanket around myself, and went in search of the bathroom. I found a nice sized bathroom at the end of the hallway and went inside.

As I shut the door behind me, letting the blanket fall to the floor. I was still very weak and felt my muscles, tense and sore, protest as I tried to freshen up. The large black marble garden tub in the corner of the bathroom looked so inviting, before I knew it was drawing a hot bath and climbing in.

I had removed the bandage from my head, found some shampoo and soap and began lathering my hair and taking a bath. The hot water felt nice as it relaxed me and the feel of being clean was refreshing.

After I had finished my bath, I sat there letting the hot water and steam clear my mind, but I still couldn't remember anything past the man trying to get to me in the plane. _The man_, I hadn't even gotten his name. I didn't even know who he was. But from all accounts it seemed he was a thoughtful and caring person, or at least I hoped that assessment was correct. There was something very endearing about him.

"Are you okay?" I heard his now familiar voice say softly, and I instinctively jumped, drawing my knees to my chest to try and cover myself.

Here I was totally naked in a strange man's house, taking a bath in his big garden tub without his permission.

"I'm sorry. I just.....the water....I needed to get cleaned up," I said, looking up at him, the heat rose in my cheeks.

"It's okay. I just didn't hear you moving and I wanted to make sure you were alright. Take your time. I brought you a shirt of mine and here are some towels," he said laying them on the counter as he turned and walked back toward the door.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

When the door was closed, I once again relaxed and closed my eyes. When the water started to cool off, I got out, dried off, and slipped my underclothes back on. They would have to do until I could wash them, then I slipped on the man's shirt. It swallowed me considering I was so much smaller than him.

I found a hair dryer and leaned against the counter while I tried to dry my hair. I looked in the mirror and ran my hand through my long hair, being careful not to get near the injury on the side of my head, until I had it mostly dried.

When I had made myself as presentable as possible, I picked up the blanket, and slowly opened the door. I had no idea what waited for me on the other side, but I knew I had to go find out. I only hoped that my memory would return and I could begin piecing things together.


	2. From The Heavens She Fell

Chapter Two

From The Heavens She Fell

Sam's POV

When I came back in that morning, I didn't see Tehya, or at least that was what I was calling her for now, anywhere. I listened carefully, but didn't hear any sounds throughout the house, so I followed her scent. She was in the bathroom. I had to make sure she was okay, so I grabbed some towels and one of my shirts, easing the door open. That's when I saw her submerged in a tub of hot water.

I couldn't blame her, she had been out for more than twenty-four hours and I'm sure she wanted to get cleaned up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, as I stepped into the bathroom. I tried to soften my voice, so I wouldn't frighten her.

"I'm sorry. I just.....the water....I needed to get cleaned up," she said, and her face turned a bright shade of red.

I couldn't believe that this beautiful woman was sitting, absolutely naked, in my bathtub and I felt somewhat ashamed at the rest of my thoughts. But I didn't even know her and she had no clue who she was. I had to focus on that for now, but it was hard, just like the moment I saw her in the plane, I felt something. I couldn't describe it, but it was a connection of some sort with her.

"It's okay. I just didn't hear you moving and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Take your time. I brought you a shirt of mine and here are some towels," I said, laying them on the counter.

I noticed she had taken the bandage off her head and it had stopped bleeding, but was still bruised. I started to step closer, but saw that she was uncomfortable as she drew her knees up to her chest, so I turned and walked back toward the door.

"Thank you," she said quietly, and I closed my eyes as I relished the sound of her songlike voice then closed the door behind me.

I went to the kitchen and made some scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee. I knew she was probably hungry and that she needed to eat to help regain her strength. As I waited on her to come out of the bathroom, I sipped on my coffee and went back over everything that had happened.

I had been out on patrol, running the early morning shift alone, when I heard a loud noise from the sky. I looked up to see a trail of smoke moving quickly toward the ground, then the ground shook as the plane made impact in the forest just outside of La Push.

Making my way to the wreckage, I had listened for the sound of heartbeats, and I heard just one. I phased, pulled on my jeans and a T-shirt, and began pulling on the door of the cockpit, which came off easily and I had thrown it aside.

I had begun searching through the debris until I finally saw her, still strapped in her seat. I called to her but she was unconscious. Things were happening fast and I knew I needed to get her out of there, but I had hesitated for a moment when she opened her eyes just briefly. There was something about her. I remembered wanting to take her in my arms and shield her—protect her and take away her pain. But then she was out again, so I moved in and somehow managed to get her out of the seat.

Wrapping my arms around her as gently as I could, I had carried her back to my place, trying my best not to jostle her around. I knew she was hurt pretty bad and her clothes were covered in blood. She had small cuts on her arms and neck and a large gash on the side of her head.

When I got to my cabin, I got her inside and placed her on the couch. I grabbed some blankets and came back to where she lay. I didn't even think about what I was doing, until I realized I had taken off her shoes and jeans. She needed to be out of her clothes so I could soak them, so I unbuttoned her shirt and lifted her up while I slid it off laying her back down.

She was a beautiful woman. Her long light brown hair, hung down to her shoulder blades and her olive complexion was flawless. I stopped for a moment and thought how precious she must look smiling, before covering her up and getting bandages, a warm washcloth, and some antiseptic cream, so I could clean her wounds.

Taking her arms, one at a time, I had carefully washed the scratches and cuts and applied the cream. The largest wound, however, on her head, looked bad, but after I got it cleaned, it appeared to be just a flesh wound, so I bandaged it, hoping the bleeding would soon stop.

I knew the pilot had not survived the crash and that the site needed to be cleaned up, so I called Jared, Paul, Quil, Embry, Seth, and Jake to go see what they could do, luckily it was the weekend and that meant they should all be around, that way I could stay with the woman.

She would pull through, seeing that most of her injuries had not been life threatening, but I hadn't wanted to leave her alone. I had taken a shower and slipped into my cut off sweat pants and gone to the living room to sit down in the chair across from her.

I had watched her, lying there peacefully resting and begun to wonder what the feelings were I had, when I looked at her. I had always been the mater-of-fact type of guy, who saw things in black and white, they either were or they weren't, but now I was at a loss for the way I was feeling.

I knew how imprinting made you feel—I'd seen it and felt it through the others in the pack, but this was somehow different. And then there was the matter of her actually being here in my home—in my life.

For the past couple of years, it's just been me and the pack and their mates. I hadn't really gotten used to being alone, but had come to accept it as the way my life would be. I liked to think that I wasn't hard or bitter, but I guess I had become somewhat of a loner.

But now, out of the clear blue sky, this absolutely beautiful woman had fallen right into my life. I didn't known what would happen beyond the next few hours, but I thought to myself that I was open to seeing where things went, or at least finding out what kind of person she was.

There was just something very special about her and I couldn't let her slip through my fingers. My only hope had been that I still knew how to interact with someone of the female persuasion, even if she was an outsider.

I smiling to myself as I remembered her asking if I had taken off her clothes when I heard her walking softly down the hallway. I got up and moved so she could see me in the kitchen.

"Hey. How are you feeling now?"

"I'm still weak and sore, but my head isn't pounding as bad," she said, pulling my shirt up tighter around her chest.

I'd never seen a woman in one of my shirts before and I was stunned at how sexy she looked. I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts and remember what I needed to tell her.

"I made some breakfast. You must be starving. I hope you like scrambled eggs?" I said, motioning to the table, as I went to the stove to fix our plates.

"That sounds good. Thank you," she said, and again that soft voice sent chills dancing up and down my spine.

I poured more coffee for myself, fixed a cup for her, and set our plates on the table. I sat down and began putting butter on my bread, "Do you want butter on yours?"

She nodded and smiled at me, and I found it difficult to look away from her beautiful hazel eyes, but I was hungry too, so I picked up my fork and started eating.

"So you can't remember anything prior to the crash?" I asked, trying to open up some dialogue.

"No. I can't," she said, as she slowly took a bite of eggs.

"Well until things start to come back to you, do you mind if I call you Tehya? And I'm Sam, by the way, Sam Uley," I said, reaching over to shake her hand.

"No, I don't mind. I like the sound of that, Sam. Thank you," she said, as she reached out and took my hand in hers.

My hand began to tingle from our contact and I noticed that I was staring at our hands, but so was she. I wondered if she felt the same thing I had felt and I wondered what this feeling was. We took our time pulling our hands away, and gradually began eating again.

"I'm sorry about the inconvenience I seem to have caused. I guess I need to try and find a place to stay, but I don't have any money....."

"You have a place to stay, right here for now. I'll look after you," I said, searching her face for some reaction.

"But I've already put you out...."

"No, you haven't. Besides, I can keep you safe here," I said, then picked up my cup for another drink of coffee.

We ate the rest of our meal in silence and when we had finished, Tehya got up and reached for my plate.

"Well the least I can do is clean up in here. Thank you again for breakfast," she said, as she slid my plate from in front of me and moved over to the sink.

She stood there for a few moments, looking out the window, and I noticed that she was shivering, as she stared out of the snowy landscape. I walked over near her and leaned against the counter.

"Pretty isn't it?" I said, looking at her.

"Yes, but it looks so cold. I'm glad I'm in here where it's warm," she replied as she started running water into the sink.

"So tell me about yourself Sam, I'd like to know more about you," she said softly looking over at me offering a smile.

I looked down, trying not to be obvious, as I let my eyes trail back up the length of her bare legs, to the tail of my shirt, and I could just imagine the curves of her body hidden away under that blue material. When I had once again focused on her face, I thought I better get real again.

"Do you mind if I look at that cut on your head first?" I asked, as I moved closer to her.

"Okay."

I very carefully pushed her hair back from her temple area and looked at the wound. As I did, the scent from her hair filtered up as I took in a deep breath. Her scent was heavenly. I wanted to breathe her in and lock away the memory of it.

"It looks much better. You're still bruised, but I'm sure that will go away soon."

I leaned down to take the dish from her hands that she had just washed, rinsing it, and placing it in the dish drainer. When we had finished, I told her I was going to go get more firewood and for her to rest while I was out.

As I closed the door behind me, I stopped for a moment, letting my mind wonder. What if she and I.... No. My thoughts were going in a direction that caught me off guard, but nonetheless I was smiling by the time I made it to the wood pile.

"Hey. I was just coming to check in. How is she?" Jake asked, as he walked toward me.

"She's much better, but she doesn't know anything. She can't remember who she is or what she's doing here," I told him, picking up a few pieces of wood.

"What are you going to do?"

"I guess we wait and see what happens. That's all we can do," I replied.

"Do you want her to stay with me and Bella?"

"No! I mean, no. She's fine here....with me. I can keep an eye on her and besides, I'm responsible for her, after all I found her," I told him firmly.

Jake leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, raising one eyebrow.

"I think it's about time we meet this _choceta_," he said.

"She is not a stranger. Well she isn't to me anyway. I feel like I know her, sort of," I said, staring out at the forest, remembering how she looked, lying there on my couch.

"Sam, if I didn't know you any better, I'd say you have some sort of feelings for her. Have you....?"

"No. I haven't imprinted on her. And I don't know what you're talking about. Here, catch," I said, throwing a stick of firewood his way, "Make yourself useful and you can come meet her. Oh, and by the way, for now her name is Tehya," I said, giving him a sideways stare.

"What? You're calling her _precious?_" he asked, giving me a grin.

"Yeah, so? You got a problem with that? I had to call her something," I said, innocently.

"Well whatever happened to Jane Doe?" he asked, while he shoved my shoulder and started laughing.

"That's enough. Now grab some more wood," I ordered, and we made our way back to the cabin.

I opened the door and we went inside, dusting the snow off our shoes, on the floor mat before going into the living room. Tehya, was sitting on the couch staring at the fire. She started pulling the blanket up around her when she saw Jake and I thought that was odd, considering she had been walking around in just my shirt when it was just the two of us. It made me wonder if she felt comfortable around me and I hoped that was the case.

"Tehya, this is my good friend Jacob Black. He came over to see how you were doing," I said, as I put the wood on the rack beside the fireplace. Jake handed me his armload, and I knelt down to put more wood on the fire.

"Hello," I heard her say from behind me, as Jake walked over to the couch.

"I'm glad you're up and about some. Are you feeling better?" Jake asked.

"Yes, and I'm forever grateful for your friend here. He's been very kind to me."

"I _bet_ he has," Jake said, looking over at me, and I could only imagine what he was thinking.

"So, Sam, when are you going to let us all come over? I know the rest of the family would love to meet _Tehya_," he said with a smile.

"I'm not sure she's up for much company yet," I said, as I looked over at her.

"Oh, I'm feeling much better and if you want to have your family over Sam, please don't let my being here stop you. Besides, I'd like to meet them."

I rubbed the back of my neck and thought for a moment. Maybe it would be good to let her see some other faces. It might help stir her memories.

"Okay. Well, why don't you see if you can get everyone together this evening and they can come over around five? Can Bella bring a couple of pies and I'll make the coffee? We can visit for a while and Tehya can meet everyone."

"Sounds good, I'll see what I can do. Tehya, until then, it's been nice meeting you," Jake said, extending his hand to her.

I noticed she looked at his hand, then over at me, right before she let it go. My guess was that she had felt his heat and wondered why we were so warm. I saw Jake to the door and told him thanks, then went back to the living room, sitting down in the chair across from the couch.

"Sam, you never told me about yourself earlier," she reminded me, so I began telling her about my life, well all that I could tell her anyway.

I told her about La Push and the Quileute people. I told her about the rest of the pack and some about their families and how we all lived on the outskirts of La Push because we all preferred the country atmosphere over that of the larger community.

I flinched when she asked me how old I was, no one ever asked that anymore, but considering I was frozen at the ripe old age of twenty-two when actually I should be almost thirty, it made me realize that my life had been on at a standstill so to speak.

As I talked with Tehya, it became easier to open up and before I knew it, we had been talking for more than two hours.

"I feel as though I know everyone you've spoken of and everything about you now Sam. Thank you for sharing all of that with me," she said, and I watched as her eyes seemed to sparkle with genuine interest.

"Well, we are a very close knit family, even though the guys aren't blood relatives, we still consider ourselves brothers."

"I like that. The thought of a big family, with lots of love, is appealing to me."

"Hey, you know what. If we are having everyone over, I'm sure you would like to have your clothes back. Let me get them for you," I said, remembering the clothes of hers that I had washed this morning. I had put them on to dry while she was taking a bath.

She got up and walked toward the hallway and when I returned with her clothes, she excused herself to the bathroom to put them on. When she came out, she went back to the couch, sat down, and slipped on her shoes, then folded the blankets up, placing then on the arm of the couch.

"Here, let me take those to the bedroom for now," I said, grabbing the blankets and she followed me down the hall, leaning against the door frame, while I lay the blankets on the edge of my bed.

"So you live here alone?" she asked, looking around the room.

"Yeah, just me."

"It's such a cozy place, I can't picture you without....without someone to share it with," she said, looking suddenly ashamed like she shouldn't have said anything.

"I was in a relationship with Leah. I mentioned her earlier. We dated during high school and for a few years afterwards. Then things, well things got complicated. You know life gets complicated, so we decided it was best if we just remained friends and went our separate ways."

"Oh. I'm...I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not," I said, without thinking. But honestly, right then, I wasn't sorry.

Sure it had been painful at first, but it was because of the wolf and transforming that it just became too difficult. Leah didn't understand what was happening and at the time, neither did I, so we just called it quits. Leah had gotten close to Quil for a while, but when she started phasing, that relationship had gone by the wayside too.

But here I stood, looking at someone who made me feel something that I couldn't put my finger on. I didn't know if it was compassion, pity, brother/sisterly love, or all out passion that I was feeling; only time would tell and I had all the time in the world.

We talked more, as we went back the living room, and I tried mentioning things that might help her jog her memory, but nothing happened. By late afternoon, I was getting hungry, so I mixed up some salmon croquets and fried them. I was waiting for them to be ready when Tehya spoke up.

"I guess you've had to learn to cook for yourself?"

"Well, we all like to get together quite often, so I have to know how to cook a few things when the others come over here to eat, but yeah it's not so bad."

She got up from the table and took the plates from the dish drainer and sat the table. When the croquets were ready, I served them with some left over salad I had in the fridge.

"These are really good. They remind me of crab cakes," she said, and we both looked at each other.

"So, you remembered something," I said, giving her a big smile.

This was a very small step in the way of progress.

"I wonder if that means I lived near the coast somewhere?" she mused.

We finished eating, cleaned up the kitchen, and put the coffee on an hour or so later. We heard the first knock on the door around ten till five. Bella and Jake were the first to arrive. They came in, both with pies in hand, and smiled at Tehya as they said hello.

"This is my wife, Bella," Jake said, as he introduced the two women.

"Nice to meet you, Bella."

Before long, the others had arrived and we all gathered in the kitchen for a slice of pie and coffee, as everyone seemed eager to capture Tehya's attention.

"So you are Quil. Sam told me a lot about you and Embry," she said, pointing him out, "And you must be Jared and Kim, she said smiling at them as they cuddled each other.

"And this is Paul and his wife, Rachel. Rachel is Jake's sister," I said, as Tehya greeted them.

Those that she had identified and met spoke to her and chatted for a while, then she turned to Leah, "And you must be Leah?" she said offering her outstretched hand to Leah.

Leah immediately stiffened, and I could tell that she was about to say something potentially unpleasant, so I cleared my throat. Leah was cordial, but I could tell she was uneasy and I wondered what all that was about, considering that we hadn't been together in a long time, and there was nothing between Tehya and me, not yet anyway.

I excused myself to go outside for more firewood and Paul and Quil followed me out hemming me up about what was happening with Tehya. Paul was the first to start in with the questions.

"Sam, what's going on here?"

"Nothing, Paul. I'm just trying to help her find herself again," I declared defensively.

"Man. I've been watching you all night. I see how you look at her. Have you imprinted on her?" he asked.

"No, I haven't. I'm just trying to help her. That's all. And besides even if I did feel something for her she's, well she's an outsider. That wouldn't even be possible."

"Sam, we don't know that. But I agree with Paul. You haven't been able to take your eyes off of her all evening and she's given you a few looks too. Why the hell else do you think Leah got her feathers all ruffled? She sensed something too," Quil said, joining in on the _let's all gang up on Sam_ chorus.

"That's enough. If anything were to have happened like that, you would have known it by now and so would I." And with that I stomped back inside.

I stoked the fire and added more wood, noticing that Tehya was watching me from the corner of her eye. I didn't mind one bit and for that matter I was rather pleased that she was. I couldn't wait for everyone to start leaving, so we could be alone again. I was beginning to like having someone around to talk with—well actually not just anyone, her.

"They all seem like very nice people—family. I felt a lot of love here tonight, not only from your brothers, but the couples. They really seem to love each other and are genuinely happy together. You don't see that much these days," she said.

"What do you mean, 'you don't see that much these days?'" I asked, looking a bit confused.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I had, maybe the way I felt about things from before the accident. I'm not sure."

Again it wasn't much, but it was a feeling, something that she had experienced before and it was a step in hopefully in bringing her back. It was getting late, so I got up and started walking toward the hallway.

"I'm going to take a quick shower. Okay?"

"Sure. I'll be right here," she said, as she sat down on the couch.

I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I didn't like the feeling of shutting her out, so I quickly took a shower and slipped on some cut off sweat pants, brushed my teeth, and began towel drying my hair as I walked back to the living room.


	3. More Than A Physical Attraction

Chapter Three

More Than A Physical Attraction

Tehya's POV

I sat up rubbing my eyes, when I heard Sam come back into the room. I had almost fallen asleep, but wanted to get a quick shower myself, before actually lying down for the night. I tried not to be obvious, but when I turned and saw him standing there in nothing but a low riding pair of cut off sweat pants, my heart skipped a few beats and even though I was trying to hide my expression I'm sure he noticed a change.

My eyes ran up and down his body, slowly—deliberately, feeling my way around every curve and mound of bronze muscle exposed, but it was more than that. It wasn't just a physical attraction. I felt a connection. I had felt something the first time I laid eyes on him, but I had brushed it off, or it had become lost in the haze of my injuries, but now, I was fully aware of how I felt, I just didn't know what to do about it.

Sam's black hair glistened and shimmered in the dim light coming from the fireplace and the entire room held a soft warm glow as I continued to stare at him. He noticed, he had to have noticed, and I thought he might have even smirked for a half a second, the cocky sucker. He was well aware of how good he looked standing before me, and was darn proud of it.

"I....mmm....I would like to take one too, a shower that is. I'll be very quick," I said, stumbling over my own words.

"Sure. Help yourself. I thought you might want to, so I laid out a fresh towel and a clean shirt for you. I think Jake and the others were able to salvage some of your luggage from the plane, so maybe tomorrow we can go through it and wash some of your clothes."

I got up and brushed past him on my way to the bathroom. I could feel the heat rolling off his still damp body as I walked slowly past. I've never felt the way I was feeling now, not that I could remember anything about my past, but some how, I just knew that this was different than anything I had ever experienced.

As I turned on the shower and climbed in, I tried to keep my hair from getting wet. I had already washed it, and knew it would make me cold tonight if I washed it again. When I was finished, I dried off and slipped on the shirt. I hand washed my underwear and bra in the sink and hung them in the shower to dry over night. It didn't think anything about it, but knew I would need them clean by morning. I was brushing my fingers through my hair, when I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Um, it's okay. You can come in," I called.

The door slowly opened and Sam leaned around the door, "I thought you might like to brush your teeth and I happened to remember that I had a new toothbrush that I hadn't used yet. There in the first drawer on your left," he said pointing to the vanity.

I slid the drawer open and took out the toothbrush. When I turned back to him, I saw him looking at the red underwear and bra hanging in the shower, and then back at me. The look in his face was very curious and I thought I saw him blushing at the same time I was blushing. It made me wonder what was going on under those dark eyes of his.

"Thanks," I said, barely above a whisper.

He pushed the door open wider and stepped inside. I watched him as he came into the bathroom and hung his towel over the towel bar on the wall. He came over near the sink and leaned down to open another drawer. He was dangerously close to me and not only could I feel his heat, I smelled the soft a fragrance mixture of deodorant and sweet musk that almost made my mouth water.

His back was exposed to me and I watched as his muscles tightened and bunched as he slid the drawer closed again. He stood up and held out a tube of toothpaste. It had to have been at least ten or fifteen seconds before I realized what he was doing and took it from him.

What do you do when you are this close to someone who makes you feel certain things? My body was telling me things that my mind knew I should avoid. He was a stranger, I was a stranger, we had just been thrown together by an unfortunate turn of events and now we were trying to make the best of the situation.

I don't know how long we stood there looking at each other, but I thought he wanted to reach out and touch me as much as I wanted to do the same. What are you thinking Sam Uley, I asked silently in my mind?

"I'll go now and, um....let you brush your teeth," he said, and I was positive his breathing had accelerated. I knew mine had along with my heart that was racing away in my chest.

He turned and I watched every step he took as he walked back out of the bathroom. I gripped the side of the vanity when he was out of sight and tried to steady my nerves. This couldn't be happening, I thought?

I finished brushing my teeth and went back to the living room. He wasn't there and neither were the blankets I had used yesterday, so I walked softly to his bedroom. The door was open, so I peaked inside. He was standing beside the bed with his back to the door, just staring at the lamp on the night stand. I cleared my throat and watched as he slowly turned around.

"I just wanted to get the blankets," I said, walking over to the bed and picking them up, "goodnight," I said, then turned around and started out of the room.

"Goodnight," he said, in a voice that made me weak. It was a voice full of longing, deep and husky, with a hint of tenderness.

I spread the blankets out and lay down, wrapping them around me as I tried to come to terms with the things I was feeling and settle in for the night. But sleep was hard to come by. I tossed and turned and every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face.

Sometime around midnight, I finally gave in and drifted off to sleep and slipped into a dream of Sam and me walking hand and hand in a meadow filled with wild flowers. I felt warm and safe, but then I heard a whistling sound above my head and looked up as a ball of flames came crashing down right on Sam. He was swept away from me and I was frantically looking for him through the flames, but he was gone.

The next thing I remember was sitting up screaming, "no, no, no, I just found you, no," as I began crying. My chest was hurting like a part of me had been pulled out and I felt empty inside.

Then I felt the warmth wrap around me and I knew it had been a dream and that Sam was right there with me, as he cradled me against his chest and rocked me back and forth. I felt safe again and I was okay, knowing he was safe too and that nothing had happened to him.

"Shhh, it was just a bad dream. Try and go back to sleep now, shhh," his deep voice whispered against the top of my head and I felt his warm soft breath caress my hair.

I must have dozed back off and the next thing I remember was waking up to the sound of dishes clanking in the kitchen. I stretched and yawned and tried to wake up. I rolled over and could see Sam in the kitchen and it looked like he was cooking again.

I got up and slipped into the bathroom, freshened up, and brushed my teeth. I felt of my underwear and they were almost dry so I slipped them back on and pulled on the clothes I had worn yesterday. I hoped that some of my clothes were salvageable and that I could get something different to wear today.

"Good morning," I said, as I stepped into the kitchen.

"Morning. I didn't mean to wake you up," he said, turning to look at me.

"No. I needed to get up. Can I help you with that?" I asked, looking at the pan in his hands.

"Sure. I was going to make omelets this morning."

"Oh I love omelets. What all do you have?"

"I was going to just make cheese omelets," he said.

"Well, let's see. Do you have any mushrooms, onions or bell peppers?"

"I may have a can of mushrooms, let me see. Yeah, here they are. I think Bella or Kim brought them over one time for something they were making, but didn't need them. And here," he said, stepping over to the refrigerator, "here are the onion and bell pepper," as he placed them on the counter.

I quickly took all of the ingredients and starting chopping the onion and pepper and mixed in the mushrooms, salting and peppering the mixture. He already had the eggs ready so I put some butter in the skillet and poured in the eggs, placed the vegetable mixture over one half of the eggs and sprinkled ample amounts of cheese, folding the eggs over and letting them cook. I repeated this again for the second omelet and put them on plates. Then I took the bread he had laid out, smeared both sides with butter and toasted it in the same pan.

"There. Now _those_ are omelets and toast," I said, proudly.

"So you can cook too. Nice. But are these going to be any good?" he smirked.

"I hope so," I said, laughing.

We both looked at each other. Sam had a glow about him and I was amazed at the sound. I hadn't actually laughed since the crash.

"Well, let's give them a try," he said, sitting down to the table.

We both started eating and I had to admit, they were good and the toast was nice and buttery.

"Okay, so you're a better cook than me. I'll be curious to see what else you can do," he said smiling.

"Me too. Did you say that some of my clothes were here?" I asked looking up from my plate.

"Yeah. The guys brought some of the things they salvaged from the plane back to the house. They put them on the front porch. We can go through them after we get finished."

I suddenly felt a wave of sorrow flow over me, "what did they do with the pilot?"

"They had to bury him. There wasn't any identification available by the time they got to him, most of the plane had burned," he said, quietly.

I swallowed hard, and got up from the table. I couldn't eat anymore. My appetite had suddenly been replaced by sadness for the man who lost his life and for myself because I was lost. Sam must have sensed the change in me demeanor, and came to stand beside me. I closed my eyes and leaned against him, as he gently put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me near.

"You made it. That's what we have to focus on now. Nothing else can be changed. And who knows, maybe things happen for a reason. I'm sorry about the pilot too, but nothing could have been done to prevent it," he said quietly. I knew he was right, but it didn't help much.

"I know," I said with a heavy sigh.

"You want to tell me what you were dreaming about last night?" he asked, catching me off guard.

"No. I mean, no...I....um, don't remember it all," I said, pulling away to start washing the dishes.

How could I tell him that I was crying because he had been taken away from me in the dream? He wasn't mine and I had no claim on him and none of it made any sense.

"Okay. But if you want to talk about it. I'm here."

I had to change the subject. I tried to think of anything to say, to move the conversation away from my feelings.

"So what do you do for a living?" I blurted out.

Sam took the dish I had washed and rinsed it. He didn't say anything for a while and I wondered if I had asked something _he_ didn't want to answer either.

"Well, I took a few days off, when, well when you..... I work on a fishing rig. Paul, Jared, and I go out during the day, fish, and come in at night. We sell our catch to a market out of Seattle that comes to truck our catch back."

"So you own your own business or are you partners with the others?"

"Yeah, we're partners," he said, and I thought he looked somewhat abashed by his answers.

"You must do very well, to have this nice place and all?"

"We do okay. The best though is crab season. They bring in big money," he said, finally smiling.

"Do you like what you do?"

"It's okay. I like the freedom of coming and going as I please. Course, if we don't catch anything, there's no money."

"Sam, I'm sorry. You didn't have to stop work for me. I can manage. You need to go back to work." I felt really bad that I was causing him to lose money.

"No, it's okay. One of the other guys is taking my shifts. I told you we are all very close and we look out for each other. They're managing just fine without me. Besides, with it being winter, we don't go out much, just twice a week. We save as much money as we can from what we make during the regular season to last us through the winter. Right now there isn't much to catch out there."

I thought about what all he had told me as we finished with the dishes. Then he put more wood in the fire and grabbed a heavy coat from the coat rack.

"What's this for?"

"You'll need it if we're going outside to go through your things. The suit case is singed, so we'll leave it outside and just bring in what we can salvage."

I took the coat which could have wrapped around me twice. Sam must have been at least six feet, seven inches and I was only about five feet, three inches, so it also hung down almost to my knees.

We went outside and the cold air took my breath away. I hadn't realized just how warm Sam's cabin was and was in a hurry to get back inside. There on the porch lay two large blackened suitcases. Sam knelt down and started opening one. The latches had melted, so I watched as he pried them off with his bare hands. He must be very strong, I surmised.

Once had the suitcase opened, he pulled out some clothing that appeared to be okay. I saw shirts, jeans, sweaters, socks, and a pair of boots. Those would come in handy, I thought. I bent down and picked up the boots smelling of them. They reeked of smoke, so I frowned.

"Any ideas on how to get the smell out of them?" I asked, as he looked up and laughed at my wrinkled up nose.

"We'll leave them outside for a day or two and maybe they will air out."

I dug through the clothes and it looked like most of them had survived, so I pulled them out and piled them near the front door. Sam had gone on to the next suit case and had gotten it opened. It appeared to be full of more personal items, such as underwear, papers, makeup, and hair care items.

He held up a pair of black lace boy shorts and started smiling as he tried to figure out which was the top or the bottom.

"That doesn't look like something I would wear," I said, under my breath.

"I don't know. I think they would look really good on you," he said, in an amused tone, as I bent over snatching them from his hand.

He burst out laughing and the sound of his deep laughter made me feel so good that I couldn't help but laugh too. I dug out all of the clothing and undergarments from the second suitcase and took an arm load inside the house. Sam stayed, looking through the items remaining.

I started a load of clothes and went back out to pile the rest in the corner of the porch to be washed in the second load. Sam had an arm full of other items that he brought in and lay on the kitchen table.

There were brushes, hair ribbons and pins, toiletry items, makeup, and papers that had been printed off the internet. I sat down and began looking over the papers, but nothing came to mind.

"It looks like you had planned on coming here. You must have done your research before leaving home," Sam said, looking over my shoulder at the papers.

"Yeah, but where's home?" I asked, looking back up at him.

We cleaned everything away and Sam told me to put my things in the bathroom for now. I sprayed some perfume on them hoping it would take away some of the smoky smell. While I was in the bathroom, I put on some make up and pulled my hair up in a loose pony tail.

When I came back out I saw him looking at me.

"What? I thought I'd change my appearance a little," I said, shrugging.

"You're very pretty," was all he said.

"Um, thanks."

We were just standing there when the phone rang. Sam picked it up and said hello then talked to someone for a few minutes. He pulled the phone down, cupped it with his hand, and looked at me.

"Tehya, do you feel like going over to one of they guy's place tonight? They want us to come over for dinner."

The whole question struck me in such an odd way. For the briefest of moments, it felt like Sam and I were....well...together. The considerate look on his face, and the tone of his voice wanting to know if I felt like going and asking me before he made plans. It made a lump come up in my throat. I nodded to indicate yes then went to sit beside the fire.

"So who called?" I asked, with my back to Sam. I knew he was watching me, I could feel his gaze.

"Embry said the others were coming over tonight to get together. We usually do it once a week or so. We eat and talk; nothing big."

I pulled myself from my thoughts and said I would check on the clothes in the washer. They were finished, so I put on another load and started the first to drying. We worked on the clothes most of the day which made it go by quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to go.

Sam offered me his coat again, and went out to start his truck, so it could be warming up. When it was ready, we left. It wasn't far to Embry's house, just about a fourth of a mile. Sam had been right when he said they liked living in the _country_ because they actually all lived in little cut out nooks of the forest.

Embry's cabin was similar to Sam's, maybe a bit smaller, but just as warm and cozy. I quickly made my way to the fireplace and started warming my hands. I was feeling much warmer by time everyone arrived and helped Bella, Kim, and Sheena, Quil's girlfriend, set the table. Sheena had not been able to make it last night to Sam's house.

She and Quil seemed just as close as the others. I watched in envy as they had no problem with a displaying affection. We were all visiting, when Leah and her brother Seth arrived. We all said hello, but I noticed that Leah still had a strange look on her face. I could tell she didn't like me at all.

We sat down to eat, some of us in the kitchen, others in the living room, and I listened to the different conversations around the two rooms. I watched as Sam interacted with everyone and noticed how at ease he was with them. He seemed like the head of the group, like he was a leader or something.

I hadn't realized that I was staring at him, until Embry spoke up, as he sat down beside me on the sofa.

"This must be overwhelming for you?" he said with a smile.

He was a nice looking young man. His dark thick eyebrows gave off so much expression when he talked and his smile was infectious.

"It's not so bad. I'm just listening to everyone."

"So how are you and Sam getting along?"

"He's been so generous. I don't know what I would have done if it hadn't been for him," I said, looking back into the kitchen at him while he talked with Jake.

"Yeah, he's like that. If he has a mission he carries it out."

"A mission?"

"Yeah, you know, if he feels responsible for something..."

"You think he feels responsible for me?" I asked quietly, feeling somewhat disappointed.

I don't know what I expected him to feel towards me, but the way Embry said it, I felt like it was just his duty or something.

Almost as if Sam had heard our conversation, and sensed a change in my mood, he as at my side in seconds.

"Hey. What are you two talking about?" he asked, almost scowling at Embry.

"Just chatting," Embry replied, in between bites.

Sam crouched down next to me resting his chin on the arm of the sofa, he looked into my eyes, and I felt better immediately.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine thanks."

Embry was watching us and so was Leah. I heard her jump up and declare that she needed to get some fresh air and the next thing I knew Embry was following her.

We were clearing things away in the kitchen when I heard a commotion as the front door flung open. I turned around to see Jake and Paul carrying Embry, who looked lifeless, as they brought him in and laid him in the floor.

I don't know what came over me, but it seemed like instinct. I was at his side in moments, dropping to my knees. Sam and the others were standing over Embry and me.

"What in the hell happened?" Sam demanded, directing his question to Jake.

It sounded like Jake chuckled as he replied, "_tala wisatsu'upat_ is what happened and she's pissed."

"A wolf woman? A female wolf did this?" I almost screamed.

Everyone froze and looked at me, then at each other.

"Tehya, how did you know what he said?" Sam questioned, looking down at me drawing his dark eyebrows close together.

"I don't know, I mean I think I picked up a few Quiluete words before I came out here, but right now I need you to get me some bandages, or a clean bed sheet. I also need hot water, alcohol or peroxide," I demanded.

"Why?" Sam questioned.

Now I was the one pissed. No one seemed to be concerned the Embry was lying in the floor bleeding to death. All they could think about was the mystery of how I knew what they were saying.

"NOW!" I shouted, and within minutes, Seth was coming in with a sheet, Jared was bringing me the alcohol, and Kim had a pan of hot water.

I looked up for a split second as I started pulling at Embry's shirt to get it off and my eyes met Sam's. I knew I had work to do, but I froze for a moment as it felt like he reached into my heart and touched me. The slight connection I had felt with him over the past few days magnified and I almost ached for him. I saw something in his eyes too, like recognition.

"Why?" he asked, quietly.

"Because this is what I do Sam. I'm a nurse. I came here to help your people," I said, and the whole room fell silent, as some of my memories came rushing back to me and I had to force myself to look away from him to work on Embry.


	4. Choceta No More

Chapter Four

_Choceta_ No More

Sam's POV

We all knew that Embry would heal by morning, but Tehya didn't and I couldn't believe the way she moved into action when she saw him injured. I was in shock, but she never even hesitated to get down on her knees over him and do what she thought needed to be done.

I was confused, and royally pissed when Jake told me Leah had done this to Embry, but when Tehya knew what he was saying in Quiluete, I was floored. But what happened next nearly brought me to my knees—right there in front of everyone—in front of my entire pack.

When I looked into her eyes, as some of her memory returned and I got a glimpse of who she really was, it happened. I felt my heart connect with hers and I knew I belonged to her from that moment on. I had imprinted on her and I knew that for whatever reason, be it fate, or natural forces, she had been brought to me and her life had been spared so we could be together.

She felt too, I saw it in her eyes and I heard it as our hearts slowed or steadied or sped up, which ever the case was, and began beating in unison. The whole room went away and all I saw was her, kneeling before me, staring at my soul like I was exposed and naked offering myself to her.

But then she fought against our moment of bonding, to tend to Embry—to my brother a part of my pack and I gained so much respect for her right then. She was an angel of mercy. How could I be so lucky, I wondered?

I stumbled back and sat down to watch her in action. She cleaned his wounds, and took the strips of white sheet that Seth had torn up for her, wrapping them quickly around Embry's shoulder then pulling them tight, making a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

My eyes were focused on her and I never even knew that everyone was watching me, until Jake came over and leaned down to whisper something in my ear.

"I told you so," he said, confidently.

I looked up at him for a moment and nodded. He had been right, I just hadn't seen it, or admitted it.

"You need to go find Leah," he said.

"I....yeah."

I didn't want to move from this spot, but the feeling of duty crept up and I knew that I was the Alpha and I had to take care of the pack, even if I really didn't want to see Leah right now. So I got up and walked out into the night.

I felt Tehya's eyes on my back as I closed the door and it was almost as if she was pleading with me not to go, but I had a duty to uphold. I phased as soon as I got my clothes off, just outside of Embry's house and ran into the forest. I guarded my mind from what had just happened, until I could find out what was wrong with Leah.

"_Leah. Where in the hell are you?"_ I demanded, in my thoughts.

"_What difference to it make to you?"_

"_Get back here now and that's an order,"_ I thought in the iron clad voice of the Alpha.

Within minutes she was slinking through the underbrush, and pacing in front of me. Her thoughts were all jumbled and erratic but then I zeroed in on what had caused her to attack Embry. It was Tehya. She was apparently jealous of her.

"_Leah, you and I have been over for a long time. You know that. You got involved with Quil. Or have you forgotten that little tryst?"_ I reminded her.

"_No. But I had always hoped that one day we could be together again. You know I still care for you." _

"_Leah, we had grown apart. You wanted something I couldn't give you at the time and you agreed. That's why we went our separate ways._"

I could feel her emotions and knew that this was more about someone else possibly having what she once had and not really about still loving me. We still cared for each other, but in a family way, and nothing more. I also knew that she would have no choice but to back off if she knew I had just imprinted. That was the way of the pack. If one of us imprinted, the others looked at the inprintee as a part of their mate.

"_Leah, I just imprinted on Tehya. She and I were meant to be together."_

Even thinking about what had just happened made me want to hold Tehya. I was struggling to even still be standing here with Leah.

"_But....she's an outsider. She's a choceta, Sam," _Leah declared, with a tone of defeat in her thoughts.

"_No she's not. She'll never again be a stranger; she's a part of me now. Come on, you need to go check on Embry. Tehya thought he was dying and it made her remember she's a nurse. She had come here to help take care of our people Leah. She's a good woman."_

She didn't say anything more and I left her to filter through her thoughts, but she was slowly working her way back toward the cabin. I phased and pulled my clothes on then ran back to the cabin. I could hear everyone talking softly even before I opened the door, but I couldn't hear Tehya.

Jake came over to me and ushered me aside when I walked in. Tehya wasn't in the room. He said she had gone to wash up. He asked me what had happened and I told him Leah was apparently having issues about Tehya and had thought we might get back together. He just laughed and shook is head.

I looked up to see Tehya standing in the doorway. She must have heard what I had told him. The look on her face was heart breaking, like we had just found each other and now someone was going to take me away from her.

She didn't say anything, but instead went back over to where Embry was now on the couch. She sat down on the floor beside him, resting on her knees. She checked his bandages and wiped his forehead with a wash cloth.

Everyone was getting ready to leave and I didn't know what to say to Tehya. I wanted to just come right out and tell her everything, but even under normal circumstances this was a delicate time for two people.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked her as I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to stay here. I need to watch him make sure he's going to be okay," she said quietly.

I let my hand fall from her shoulder. I wanted to pick her up and tell her that he would be healed by morning, we were freaking werewolves for crying out loud, and that I loved her more than anything on this earth. Then I wanted to carry her in my arms back to my cabin and make mad passionate love to her all night long. But I couldn't do any of that.

"He'll be okay. I know he will. You need to get some rest," I said, trying to sound convincing without being overbearing. I couldn't risk pushing her away at this delicate stage in our relationship.

"I'm staying," she said, with a flash of anger in her eyes as she looked up at me.

I knew I loved her more than anything, but as she got her memories back, and we learned who she really was inside, I'm not quite sure I knew how to deal with that. It was like loving two different people.

Then I became angry. I was angry at Leah for causing this trouble, and angry at Embry for not healing and waking up so she could see that I was right, so I did the only thing I could. I turned around and left. The other's had already gone, so when I reached the door, I turned back and said, "Fine. Have it your way," and walked out.

By the time I made it back home, my chest was aching and I wondered if she felt the same, or if it was because I had left her on unclear terms. Her scent still lingered in the house and it made it even harder to deal with her not being there with me, where she belonged.

We had so much to talk about and I wanted to know what other memories, if any, she had discovered tonight. I wanted to tell something of how I felt, even if I couldn't tell her what it all meant just yet, until we got her life back in order, I could at least tell her I liked having her around or she was making my life brighter or something.

As the night wore on, and my pacing the floor got old, I lay down on the couch, where she had slept the past two days, and breathed in her sweet aroma. I couldn't believe how much I needed her right then and the ache never eased up all night, but I slept an hour or so, before finally getting up and going out for patrol.

When I got back, Tehya was there. I knew the moment I stepped onto the porch that she was there. I flung the door open and started looking for her. She was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at some of the papers we had found in her suitcase.

The ache disappeared and was replaced with a need to touch her, the instant our eyes met. But then I noticed she smelled like Embry. I could barely smell her scent because his was so strong on her. I clenched my fists and tried with all my might to control the trembling. If I hadn't just come back from running, I might not have been able to handle this and would have phased.

"Hello, Sam, you don't look so good. What's wrong?" she asked, getting up and coming over to me.

"How's Embry?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"He's fine. His wounds are healed. I've never seen anything like it before in my life. He said it was because he's Quiluete and that you heal faster than others, but I...."

"You smell like him."

"I what?" she asked, looking shocked.

"What happened last night?"

"I sat with him making sure he was okay. Why? What does it matter? You left didn't you?" she said, and her words cut into me.

"Did he....did he....do anything to you?"

"No! But he I did sleep in his bed and it felt good too."

"Was he in the bed with you?" I couldn't believe I was asking such a point blank question, until the words fell from my mouth.

Her eyes widened and her face turned white, then red and it took her a long time to answer.

"He was disoriented. He didn't know I was lying down in the bed. He came in during the night and lay down beside me and I was so tired that I didn't know it....until this morning when I found his arm draped over my chest. But he....we....nothing happened. He was on top of the cover and I was underneath," she spoke softly, but defensively as she looked down at the floor.

"How. Could. You. Do that to me?" I asked as my voice broke along with my heart.

"I didn't do anything. Are you implying that I...that I slept with Embry? I'm not like that. I've never even...." she screamed.

"You've never what?"

"I've never even been with a man like that, Sam," she said, as tears slid down her bright red cheeks, "besides, what does it matter to you. Why should you care what I do? You don't even know who I am and you have Leah," she sobbed, as she sat down in the chair by the fireplace.

"Because I do care and I want to know you, but now... I have to go to work. Maybe you should go back to Embry's," I choked out as I walked to the door, "and as for Leah, she and I have been over a long time," then I slammed the door behind me as I left.

How could Embry do this to me? I'd kill him, I thought as I got in my truck and drove off. I knew I couldn't go to Embry's now, or I might really kill him. So I went to the dock to go out on the boat. Jared and Paul were already there. I had told them I would go out today anyway and that Seth didn't need to help.

"Man you look like crap. What happened to you?" Paul asked, as we started stretching the ropes out so we could cast off.

"Nothing; I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go."

The day was long, but I worked my butt off trying to forget about everything. By the end of the day, I was convinced, after lambasting myself mentally all day that I might have overreacted. So, when we pulled back up to the dock, I was ready to go try to straighten things out.

I told the guys I would see them later that I had some things to take care of and I think they were glad to get rid of me. I had been such a bear all day. I drove home as fast as I could, but she wasn't there. I couldn't hear her inside and I knew she had been gone a while, her scent wasn't fresh.

I hit the door with my hand as I ran through the cabin. She had taken some of her clothes and toiletries with her and I was to blame. She had only been trying to look after Embry, doing what she thought was right, and I had accused her—accused them of much worse. I had to get to Embry's, thinking that's where she was.

I didn't even bother driving, I just ripped off my clothes and phased, running as fast as I could trying to get back to her. Embry had just gotten home from work when I was pulling on my clothes.

"Sam, what's going on? Tehya came over this morning crying, asking if she could stay here that you had told her to leave. And now she's gone," he said, as he stepped out onto the porch.

"Gone? Damnit. What am I going to do?" I screamed, like a mad man grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

"Wait. What's this about?"

He shoved me back against the wall and pulled my hands off his collar.

"I...I imprinted on her last night when she started remembering things from her past. I wanted her to come home with me last night, but she insisted on staying with you. She's a nurse and she felt it was her duty to take care of you. I couldn't tell her you would be healed by morning, she wouldn't have even believed me," I said, running my hand through my hair.

"So what happened this morning? Oh no. You don't think that I....that she...that we. No way. I didn't do that. You know me better than that Sam, even if I did think she was pretty, I wouldn't do that. Now, I did go get in_ my_ bed, thinking I was by _myself_, but I swear to you nothing happened," he finished by waving his hands in the air.

"Where is she? We have to find her," I said, feeling lost, not knowing where she was.

"Come on, let's phase and we'll find her."

We both stripped and phased, and started running, just as new snow began to fall. If it hadn't been under such dire circumstances, I would have stopped to watch it fall, but right now I had to find my soul mate.

Embry ran back toward my house and I drifted back toward where I had found her at the site of the plane crash. Something told me that's where she might be going, if she could find her way. I picked her trail up, just as I thought and ran faster than I knew was possible.

I could hear her shallow breathing as I came to a halt, just this side of the crash site. She was lying in a snow bank and I feared the worst. I nudged her with my nose, but she wasn't moving. She was on the verge of freezing to death.

"_Embry I've found her. She's probably got hypothermia,"_ I relayed then phased and slipped on my clothes.

I looked at her hands and they were blue. I knew I had to hurry. I picked her up and started running. Embry met up with me a few minutes later and told me he would go get some blankets ready at my house.

When I jumped up onto the porch he opened the door. He had a fire roaring and a pile of blankets on the couch. I lay her down and he started taking off her shoes. I ran back outside and got a bucket of snow, running back in and started rubbing it on her hands. Embry got a towel and cleaned up the mess I was making.

When her hands had turned a bright red, I pulled off her socks and did the same thing, while Embry rubbed her nose with snow.

"Embry, that's all we can do for now. I've got to do the rest myself. Thanks man and I'm sorry about...."

"Hey, it's okay, you just take care of her. She's a good woman Sam. We can't lose her," he said as he started out the door, "and call me if you need me."

I shook my head and as soon as the door was closed, I stared taking her clothes off. I ripped them, not even taking the time to unbutton or unzip them, I just ripped them off, and then I took off my clothes, and lay down beside her, covering us both with the blankets.

The only way to get her body warmed up quickly, yet evenly, was to use my own body as the heater. I pressed myself as close to her as I could, wrapping her in my arms and pulling her face up to my chest, pressing her cold nose to it, then I lay my leg over hers and just held her.

As the hours passed, her breathing became more even and I felt her warming under my touch. I began to relax some and must have fallen asleep. I felt her move, but couldn't wake up just yet, so I just lay there next to her, afraid it was a dream and I didn't want it to end.

* * *

**NOTES**

Okay, I figure I've got some splainin to do. I know I've said over and over that I'm not a fan of imprinting, which is my rule in general. But this story, and the requirements for the La Push - Quileute Challenge led me in this direction. I hope that no one thinks of me as a hypocrite and that you can appreciate the way I handled imprinting in this fic. Hugs to all you guys. You're the best.


	5. Finding Myself And Learning To Love

Chapter Five

Finding Myself And Learning To Love

Tehya's POV

I woke up and realized that Sam was wrapped around me. His smooth copper skin was everywhere and it was hard to tell where he ended and I began. It was then that I knew, without a doubt, that I was in love with this handsome Native man and I wanted to always be with him—to be his. But he had told me to leave.

It broke my heart to think of leaving him, when I had only just found him and felt him inside my heart just yesterday. I kissed the top of his head, as his soft black satin hair danced along my lips. His light musky scent, mixed with the smell of the outdoors, was breathtaking. How could I leave this? He stirred next to me and I thought he was awake.

"That's twice now that you've saved my life. I have to get out of this place before it's too late. I think nature is trying to tell me something," I spoke softly against his hair, as I pressed my lips to it once more.

"No. You can't leave. You can't," he said, and I felt his deep voice, _that voice, _that sent chills up and down my spine, reverberate through my chest where his face was laying.

"But you told me to leave, Sam."

He sat up and looked down at me, brushing my hair out of my face. "I just got you back and I'm never going to let you go. Tehya, I'm in love with you. I know that you might think that is impossible, but I am. I love you more than anything. Please believe me and try to understand. This sort of thing doesn't happen every day, but when it does it's special. I'm sorry about the things I said before. It was just the thought of you being with someone else and it tore me apart."

_He loved me. _We'd only known each other for a few days and he's saying _he loves me. _This was hard to wrap my head around and I closed my eyes trying to make sense of it all. Before I could say anything, his lips, soft, gentle, and searching were moving against my own. I wasn't scared or upset, and if the truth be known, I wanted this as much, if not more, that he did.

"Mmm," slipped out of my mouth as I pressed even closer to him, before he pulled away.

"All you have to do is let go. Don't think of anything, just feel me—feel us, and you'll know I'm right," he said, as his lips came down on mine again.

I did as he said, and I let go, feeling him—feeling our connection move through me. Every where he touched me, I felt a tingle or trail of fire that left behind sparks. I've never felt anything like this before and _now_ was certain of that. Many of my memories began to come back to me and I began to feel whole again, but it was Sam who completed me and I hoped that I did the same for him. I brushed my hand over his smooth bronze cheek and kissed the tip of his nose.

"My name is Tealisa Morgan, but I was getting use to Tehya," I said, looking into his dark eyes.

"Then I'll always call you Tehya," he said huskily.

He rubbed my hand in his and slid his hand down my leg to my feet, where he rubbed both of them too. Then he tickled the bottom of one of my feet causing me to laugh.

"Stop that," I squealed.

"I had to make sure you could still feel your hands and feet, you nearly froze to death. What were you doing out there anyway?"

"I was searching for who I was. When I thought I had lost you and the connection we had, I had to try to find some piece of myself so I was looking for the site of the crash."

He stroked my cheek with his large warm hand, "you don't have to look anymore. Let me be who you are, let me love you, and all I ask is that you love me in return."

"I like the sound of that too. But it all seems too good to be true. How can you just meet someone one day and a few days later, be so in love with them?"

I felt him chuckle above me, "my dear Tehya. It's a long story."

"Well, I'm not planning on going anywhere, anytime soon, so maybe you could tell me some day?"

"How about I show you?" he breathed against my lips as he moved his leg across mine again, pinning me beneath him.

My mind was hazy with the way he was making me feel. Was it wrong to want someone this much, to feel the need to ravage him? That's what I felt—that's what I needed, was to be as close to him as I possibly could.

His lips were greedy now, as he kissed me again, and begged admittance through my lips. I sucked in a gulp of air, slightly parting them, and he took advantage to slip is soft tongue inside. The taste of him inside of my mouth was intoxicating and I pushed against his tongue with mine, until I was the one searching, as I caressed the top of his teeth and ran my tongue over their smooth texture.

I pulled back to gasp for air again slightly tilting my head back on the pillow. He found the soft and vulnerable spots of my neck and kissed me without ceasing, driving me mad with his touch. With his body pressed against mine, I could feel his need straining against my thigh and it brought me back to reality.

"As much as I would love to say 'take me,' right now, I'm not sure I'm ready just yet, Sam," I whispered.

"I understand. I know it's all so soon," he breathed heavily, as he again rose up to look at me.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Sam jumped up and started dancing around on one foot as he tried to pull his jeans on. He was zipping them up and running a hand through his hair when he opened the door and I pulled the blankets up around me as I sat up.

"Sam. I've got great...." Jake said, as he came in and looked at me sitting on the couch, then back at Sam, then back at me, before mumbling, "not as great as what's going on here," he finished giving Sam a big devilish smile.

"Hey, hold on a minute, Jake. We were just talking that's all," Sam said defensively, as he held up both hands in a gesture of innocents.

"Sure, sure. I'm happy that the two of you are finally _talking_. But on to the reason I'm here. Sue Clearwater just stopped by the garage and mentioned something about a nurse who was supposed to show up to work at the clinic and she hadn't checked in yet. Her name is...."

"Tealisa Morgan?" Sam filled in.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Tehya has started getting her memory back," Sam informed him.

"Wait, I thought her name was...Tea..."

"Yeah, but she _likes_ what I have been calling her," Sam said, giving Jake an '_I told you so'_ look or something.

"Okay, okay. I get the picture. So have you two talked about...."

They looked at each other as if communicating with a strange sort of mental telepathy and Sam puffed his chest up even larger like he was telling Jake to be quiet or leave or something. They stood there for a few minutes then Sam broke the silence.

"Well you can tell Sue that we've found the _missing nurse," _he said with a smile as he winked at me, "and I'll bring her to the clinic this afternoon, so if she could let them know that would be good. I think under the circumstances they'll understand."

"Sure, Sam. I'll let her know. Tea...Tehya, I'm so glad you're doing better. You let us know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Jake. I will," I said, and gave him a wave, as he turned to leave.

"I'll _talk_ to _you_ later, Sam," he said, and pulled the door closed behind him.

Then we were alone again. I wanted to jump up and run into his arms again, but that would have been too much, so I waited. He looked back over at me and smiled as he leaned against the door and crossed his arms.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked quietly.

"A lot. But the most important thing is how happy I feel right now—how you've made me feel," he finally said, as he slowly walked back over to me.

He sat down on the side of the couch, facing me, and I scooted up so I was leaning against the arm of the couch, pulling the blankets up around me even tighter. I saw the glow of a man in love in his black eyes, and I wondered if he could see how I felt, reflected in mine.

"I've got so much to figure out," I said, rubbing the side of my head that was still bruised and tender.

"It's okay. We'll get through it together. I want that more than anything," Sam said, as he took my hand in his.

"My job, a place to stay, I need a car, I have to find Forks to get my checking account squared away. I need to call the Mission's Office. I don't have hardly anything left...." I was suddenly overcome with so many things to think about and do that I thought I might hyperventilate.

"Hey, calm down. We'll take this one thing at a time. We'll go to the clinic this afternoon and you and check in there, then call the office, and the rest we'll handle slowly, as for a place to stay. I would love for you to stay here, if you want to? I'll even let you have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch if that's what you're comfortable with."

The look in Sam's eyes and the expression of utter love and devotion that shown on his face made me feel weak. I gripped his hand as I tried to grasp what he had just said, but it was all happening so fast.

"I think about all that has taken place these past few days, that I could have been killed, that I have no idea what waits for me out there with my job and everything else, but right now I feel sure of one thing, here, in my heart," I said, placing Sam's large hand over my heart, "that we belong together. I'm not sure about _living_ with you or anything, but for now, I would like to stay here until I figure some things out. Thank you for being so generous."

"This is where you belong, Tehya. This can be your home and you'll always be welcome here. But I do understand how you feel and I respect that. I don't want to put you in a position you're uncomfortable with."

"Thanks for being so understanding," I said, as I leaned forward and placed the softest kiss possible on his smooth full lips.

"Come on. You probably want to get a shower and get cleaned up before we go to the clinic," he said, getting up.

I had a feeling he would have been perfectly content with just staying wrapped up on the couch the rest of the day, but he knew, as did I, that it was time for me to start piecing my life back together. So I got up, pulling a blanket around me and went to the laundry room to pick out some clothes, then to the bathroom for a quick shower.

When I had gotten finished, pulled on my clothes, and dried my hair, I took my makeup and a mirror back with me to the living room. Sam was staring at the fire when I came in.

"Hey, I'm sure you'd like to get freshened up too. I'll put my makeup on out here, while you take a shower."

"Okay," he said, brushing his hand across my cheek as he went back to his bedroom to get some fresh clothes, then into the bathroom.

I put my makeup on while trying to put everything in perspective. The good things were that I was alive, was getting my memory back, and now I had this wonderful man in my life who seemed to genuinely care about me and even love me. So why did I keep feeling like something bad was going to happen?

When we were both ready, Sam suggested that we eat a quick sandwich before going to the clinic. I helped him put them together, but I found it difficult to eat with so many different emotions running through me.

After we finished eating, Sam once again gave me his coat and we left for the clinic. The drive wasn't very long, and I tried to take note of the surroundings as we made our way into the small town of La Push. Sam chuckled as he watched me taking in the new surroundings, saying that there wasn't much to the town, but that it was home and one of the most beautiful places he knew.

We pulled up in front of a small frame structure that read "La Push Clinic" on the sign out front. It was a neat and tidy looking place but it looked dated. I thought about the medical supplies I had brought with me and felt bad they had been lost in the crash. I had a feeling from the looks of things that those items had been greatly needed.

"It doesn't look like much either does it?" Sam asked, as he turned off the engine to his truck.

"I just wish I had the supplies I was bringing with me," I replied, looking at the clinic again.

"So what made you want to come here and work helping a people you knew nothing about?" Sam asked quietly.

"I don't know. It just felt right when I got the opportunity. I felt like it was my chance to give something back to the world, and this seemed like the place for me," I said, smiling at him as we got out.

The inside of the clinic was clean and orderly, but smelled musty. I assumed that with the damp, cold weather, the smell must linger there. A beautiful young Quiluete woman greeted us as we walked inside.

"You must be Tealisa Morgan?" she asked, as she came around the counter.

"Yes. I'm sorry...."

"You don't have to explain anything. I'm just glad you are walking in that door. When you didn't show up a couple of days ago, we were so worried. I'm Myla Triling. I'll be your nurse aid," she said, extending her hand in a warm and welcoming manner.

"It's very nice to meet you Myla. This is my, um, friend, Sam Uley," I said, turning to look at Sam. "I don't know what I would have done if Mr. Uley hadn't found me. He's been so kind as to let me stay at his place while I've been recovering."

"Sam. It's good to see you again," she said, giving him a cute little smile.

"Hello, it's nice to see you again too Myla."

"So how do you two know each other?" I asked, wondering if they might have had a history together, as I looked between the two of them.

"It's a very small town and besides, my dad and Sam's dad used to fish together years ago," she replied, still smiling at Sam, but he didn't seem to have the slightest interest in her, which eased my mind greatly.

Myla proceeded to show me around the small clinic and gave me a few messages that had come in over the past couple of days from Mr. Smotherman at the Mission's Headquarter Office. I knew I would need to contact him as soon as possible.

Sam had stayed in the waiting area, while Myla and I walked through the rest of the clinic. We were on our way back up front when she turned to me and said, "oh, and I forgot to tell you that the NAMS are also providing you with housing. They had a nice prefab house brought in a few weeks ago. It's located behind the clinic and you're address will be 105 Silver Trail. The clinic's is 101. Won't that be great? You'll have a place of your own," she said, and it caught me off guard, but it also posed a solution to my unusual circumstances.

"The NAMS? What's that?"

"You know, the Native American Mission Service. We call it that for short here," she replied.

"That's great. Thanks Myla for all the information."

"You're welcome. You can use the phone in this office to call Mr. Smotherman," she said, showing me to a small office at the back of the clinic. "Oh, and you'll be working under Dr. Trevor Blackmon. He comes down from Seattle once a month. The rest of your communication with him will be by phone," she said, then went back the front of the clinic.

I sat down at the small desk. I was nervous about calling Mr. Smotherman, but I knew I shouldn't be, the events that had taken place were completely out of my control.

After talking with Mr. Smotherman, I was at ease that everything was back on track as far as my job assignment went. He also informed me that my pay would not be cut and that I could get new checks on the account that they had opened for me at the bank in Forks. That was comforting to know, considering I had no money.

When I finished my phone call, I went back to the front of the clinic to find Myla sitting next to Sam in the waiting room. They both looked up when I walked in and my eyes immediately went to Sam. I didn't understand why, by I felt a twinge of jealousy run through my veins and even thought that she would be glad if I wasn't staying at Sam's that's why she had been so chipper when informing me about the housing situation.

I don't know how or why but Sam knew how I was feeling. It was like he was reading my thoughts or my expression or maybe even could hear my heartbeat accelerate. He was up and walking toward me, while I was still trying to rationalize my feelings that I had no claim on him, even if he had said he was in love with me.

But what he did next took every worry or care from me completely as he took my hand in his pulled it up to his lips and kissed slowly—deliberately lingering for a few moments. I could see Myla watching in awe from the corner of my eye and also knew that Sam was showing restraint, because the look in his eyes told me that he wanted to pull me into his arms and kiss me, but that he wanted to keep this public display of affection chaste for my sake.

"So Sam, have you known Tealisa long?" Myla asked, as she stood up.

"Long enough. Tehya, are you ready to go?" he said, giving me a smile that had me feeling flushed.

"Sure," I replied, and he held my hand as we walked toward the door.

"I thought your name was Tealisa?"

"It is, but Sam calls me Tehya," I said, smiling at Sam. "Myla, I'll be back in the morning. I have to go to Forks to take care of some things," I said as we left.

"Okay. I'll, um, see you then," she called, and I looked back over my shoulder to see her looking very confused.

As we climbed into Sam's truck, he leaned over and pulled me to him, giving me the sweetest kiss.

"What was that for?"

"I wanted you to know that I love you."

"Does this have anything to do with the looks you and Myla were giving each other and the quiet conversation while I was in the back?" I asked, giving him a sideways smirk.

"I have no interest in her. She's always had a crush on me, but I've never felt the same. Besides, no one could ever take your place."

Sam leaned back over, started the truck, put it in gear, and pulled out of the gravel parking lot. He drove through the rest of town showing me where everything was, and then stopped at the general store. I grabbed a cup of hot chocolate and he got a coffee before we left for Forks.

It took almost forty-five minutes to drive to Forks, due to the weather conditions. But it gave Sam and I a chance to talk and I began to relax even more with him. He told me all about his family and more about his friends. I told him that my parents were both deceased and I had no brothers or sisters. He seemed saddened by this as he told me how important family was to him and his people. I started to get the feeling though that I was gaining a family by being near Sam.

When we got into Forks we went to the bank so I could get my new checks and some cash. The checks were temporary, so when they asked for my current address, Sam said I could use his address, but when the bank attendant stepped away for a moment, I told him about the housing that had been provided for my by NAMS behind the clinic and could I saw the hurt and uncertainty in his eyes when I told him that I would be moving in tomorrow.

He didn't say anything else about the address or where I would be staying, until we were back in his truck.

"I wish you would just stay with me. I wouldn't worry about you as much if you were there."

"Sam, if I stay with you then people will start to talk and it wouldn't take long, in such a small town, for the rumors to be flying that we were _living_ together, even if I was just sleeping on your couch. _And, _I also am fairly confident that the feelings you and I are developing for each other are going to lead to even stronger....well you know.....so it might be better as we get to know each other for me to stay at my new place."

"I don't care what people think. I'll stand on the street corner, right here, right now, and shout to the world how much you mean to me—how much I love you. _I love you Tehya,_" I knew he was telling me the truth, and it almost hurt me to see the desperation in his eyes.

"I won't be that far away. It's only about a mile from your house and I'm sure we will be seeing each other every day. We'll see how it works out. Okay?"

"I'm learning something new about you everyday and I guess the one thing that I'm going to have to adjust to is your headstrong ways," he said, smiling at me looking defeated.


	6. A Place Of Her Own

Chapter Six

A Place Of Her Own

Sam's POV

After leaving the bank, Tehya insisted on going to the grocery store to buy some food for my house to repay me for what she had used. I told her that it wasn't necessary but she insisted and said she also needed to get some things for the new place too.

I knew I couldn't expect her to just move in with me after only knowing me for just a few days, and that things had already progressed much faster than I could ever have imagined, but I still wanted her near me but at this point it was something I had no control over. I would just have to respect her wishes and give her some space, for now.

People looked at us as we shopped, and I know they thought we were a couple. I started thinking about what it would be like if we start living together or even how it would be to be married. I smiled to myself at the thought of making her _Mrs. Sam Uley_ and knew, right then that someday soon I would ask her to marry me.

On our way back to La Push, she spotted a small department store and asked if we could stop so she could get a few clothing items. We went straight to the ladies department where she discretely picked out some new underwear, a couple of night gowns, and a coat.

We didn't talk much on the way back home. We were both very comfortable just being in each other's company. The occasional smile or a few soft words were all we needed. She looked out the window and often said how pretty everything was, even if it was still winter.

It was getting late when we got back to the cabin, and we were getting hungry. She insisted on making dinner, so I rekindled the fire and got things ready for a movie after we ate. I watched her at work in the kitchen and was glad that she was feeling so much better. Her bruises and cuts were fading and I knew she was slowly but surely getting back to her old self, the one I desperately wanted to know.

We at a delicious chicken pasta dish she had prepared, cleaned the kitchen, and went to the sofa to settle down to watch the movie. I sat down and pulled her up into my arms, with my feet propped up on the coffee table. She had snuggled up to my side and had her head lying on my shoulder. It was nice having her in my arms and I knew this was something I could get used to.

The movie had only been on about an hour when we heard a knock at the door. I stood up and went to see who it was.

"Hey guys, come on in," I said, as Jake and Paul walked inside.

"Hey, Tehya. How did things go today?" Jake asked, moving into the living room.

"Good thanks. I start work at the clinic tomorrow. I have my own place too," Tehya announced, and both Paul and Jake looked at me, like they wanted to know why I wasn't just telling her everything then she would want to stay with me.

"Um, that's nice. Where is it at?" Jake asked.

"It's a new house they moved in right behind the clinic."

"Oh," Jake said, again looking at me like he knew I was uncomfortable with the whole thing.

"So what brings you guys over?" I finally asked.

"We needed to talk with you about a couple of things. Do you mind if we...." Paul asked, motioning toward the door.

Tehya must have noticed.

"It's okay guys. I'm on my way to take a nice hot bath," she declared, as she got up from the sofa.

Jake smiled at her then at me and I just gave him a shut up look as we went into the kitchen. I watched Tehya retrieve her underclothes from the laundry room and saw she was carrying one of the new gowns she had bought as she made her way to the bathroom.

My mind was on her, following her every move, thinking about that hot bath she was going to take, wishing I could.....

"Hey, earth to Sam. Snap the hell out of it Casanova," Jake said, and I growled at him as I brought my thoughts back into the kitchen instead of following Tehya.

"That's enough. Now what's so important?"

"Well first off we wanted to know how things were going with you two?" he said, laughing while he nudged Paul in the arm with his elbow. They were both smiling like fiends now.

I was actually glad they were here so I could let some of my frustrations out and get a few things off my chest. They were, after all, my brothers, so I knew they'd understand. Besides, they'd both gone through the same thing I was going through, only they didn't have the plane crash and memory loss to deal with.

"Well, I guess things are going okay. I told her that I love her today and that went over fairly well, but she doesn't want to rush things, which I understand, but I'm having trouble thinking of her staying by herself in town. I wanted her to stay here and even offered to sleep on the couch, but then they have this house thing set up for her," I said, running my hand through my hair.

"Has she said anything about what she feels for you?" Paul asked.

"It's there, in her eyes, but she's still recovering from her memory loss and basically her whole life is having to be readjusted. I just feel sort of helpless," I said, leaning my head against my hands as I propped my arms up on the table.

"Give her time, Sam. But you know you're going to have to start telling her the truth. The longer you wait the more damage it might cause later. Remember what we've all been through and learn from our experiences," Jake said quietly.

"Yeah, I know. But the time is just not right yet."

"That's not the only reason we came over, Sam," Paul said, with a serious tone in his voice, "Seth and Jared were running this morning and they caught a scent."

"No. I don't need this right now. Are you sure?" I asked, pounding my fist on the table.

"I went back out with them and we followed it all the way to Forks, but lost it around the river. I'm positive," Paul said.

Now things were going to get even more complicated. Not only would I be worrying about Tehya, we would have to step up patrols and how could I explain that, when I've been there for her and now all of a sudden I'm not?

"Don't worry about patrols. We've got it worked out so you can have the day shift when you're not working, so you can sort of keep things in check on the home front. And I think we need to have a gathering, so we can start introducing her to some of our legends," Jake said, looking me in the eye.

"Thanks man. And I guess you're right. Can you two get things together for this weekend at the council hall?"

They assured me they could pull everything together and left. I waited in silence for Tehya to come out of the bathroom. As I waited, I thought of all the things I could say when I started telling her about the side of life that was hidden here in La Push, but the best plan of action seemed to be just all out telling the truth.

"Hey, you've been staring at that fire for a long time. Are you okay?" her soft, voice sounded like angels singing as she called to me from across the room.

She soothed me, just by speaking to me and I felt all the love I had for her swell up inside of me like I might burst if I didn't let some of it out and share it with her. When she walked over to where I was sitting and placed her hand on my shoulder, I felt the arc as her skin made contact with mine.

"Come here," I said, very softly, and I was surprised at how deep and husky my voice sounded and noticed that it made her breathing catch.

She was wearing the modest pink nightgown she had picked up today. It just barely came down on her chest but I could see the curve of her full breasts just below the surface of the satin material. The lace trim perfectly outlined the skin on her chest and I couldn't stop myself from staring.

I gently pulled her onto my lap and traced up her arm with my fingertips, until our eyes met. I thought she might be nervous with what I was doing and being this close, but I couldn't help myself. She smelled like fresh lilac and a summer breeze. Her hair was soft and silky. I knew that she felt some of the same things I was feeling, and I could see the love growing in her eyes, but I wanted her to tell me how she felt.

"Are you relaxed now that you've had a long, hot bath?"

"Uh huh," she said, looking at me with her hazel eyes wide with curiosity.

I reached up and slid my hand under her long hair pulling her down to meet me as I slowly placed my lips on hers. Even though we had kissed already, it felt like the first time all over again. She slid her arm around my neck and I cradled her against my chest, laying her back against my arm. I brought my other hand down and caressed her shoulder then trailed down her side to her hip.

The satin material felt good under my touch, but it also enabled me to feel every curve of her gorgeous body and I did as I let my hand explore, until I was at the small of her back. Our lips were moving in a faster pace against each others and I had to taste her. It only took a moment and she let me inside to caress her tongue and her moan told me she was pleased.

Gripping her tight in my arms, I scooted to the edge of the chair and stood up, carrying her to the couch where I lay her down and came down beside her. We needed each other at that moment, even if our minds were telling us we needed to wait a little longer.

As I settled down beside her, I let one leg lay across hers and she pulled her other leg up, resting her foot on the couch causing the satin material to slip down her thigh. I had to touch her exposed skin so I started at the bend of her knee and slid my hand down to her soft inner thigh before diverting my hand and wrapping it around the back side of her thigh.

My body was screaming how badly I needed her, but I knew I had to wait, so I lay my forehead against hers until my breathing slowed, then I got up to go to the bathroom for a shower, but came back to give her one more quick kiss.

When I got out of the shower and went back to the living room, her head was resting against the arm of the couch. I slid down beside her and she settled against my chest falling asleep. I managed to maneuver around so that she was laying half on me and half on the couch and I pulled the throw over her and went to sleep holding her in my arms.

The next morning neither of us said anything about sleeping together again on the couch as we got ready, ate a quick bite of breakfast, then packed up the few things Tehya had at my house and drove to the small prefab building she insisted on calling her new home for now. I was upset the moment I saw it, but tried not to let my true feelings show. I knew this was important to her.

The utilities were already on, so I turned up the heat and helped her get her things inside, then took a tour of the small dwelling. I hated the place even more after looking around and thought how it reminded me of the HUD houses provided by the government after a hurricane. The only good thing about it was that it was fully furnished and everything was new.

"I've hung your clothes in the closet, and put the folded things in the dresser in the bedroom. You're going to need some towels and sheets, so I'll bring those back over tonight. I've got some extras."

"Thanks Sam for everything," she said, looking up from the small refrigerator where she was putting the food she had picked up yesterday.

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do for my girl," I said, playfully as I pulled her into my arms. I wanted to hold her like that the rest of the day, but I knew she had to get to work.

I had to go out on the boat today too, so I told her goodbye and left for the pier. The day was long as I thought over everything that had happened, the potential for trouble with a new vampire lurking around, and how I was going to start telling Tehya what I was, about imprinting, and the utter craziness of this world that she had no idea existed.

After work, I went home, showered, and picked up the sheets and towels, I promised to take to Tehya's. She was busy organizing things to her liking when I got there, but seeing her helped me put things in perspective again and I felt instantly at ease.

"How was your day?" she asked as I gave her a kiss and wrapped my arms around her.

"We did okay. I want to know how your day was though? That's the bigger question."

"It was fine. I spent most of the day organizing and getting a list of supplies ready to fax in tomorrow. The mission's office has made arrangements to send twice the amount of supplies that I had originally brought with me."

"That's great. So see things will work out after all."

"Yeah, I know. Hey are you hungry? I wanted to cook for you tonight, but I just realized I don't have any pans or dishes yet. Can I cook for you at your place?"

"You know you can," I said, grabbing her coat.

When we got back to my house, I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I'd have her with me for a few hours at least. I didn't know what I'd do when she insisted on staying at her place. I probably wouldn't be able to sleep at all, knowing the threat that was on the loose.


	7. Unexpected Past

Chapter Seven

Unexpected Past

Tehya's POV

After dinner, Sam reluctantly agreed to take me back to my place. He stayed around for a while, helping me make up the bed and get things ready for the night. He looked so cute checking all of the windows and doors to make sure they were secure and told me to call him if I heard anything out of the ordinary and that he would be right there. That meant a lot to me.

I heard every noise imaginable during the night and felt this miserable pain in my chest which made it hard to sleep. I must have tossed and turned until about one o'clock before I finally went to sleep. A funny thing had happened though, it wasn't until I heard the sound of wolf howling in the distance that I suddenly felt safe and the pain eased up as I drifted off to sleep.

The next several days were busy, with work, trying to get things that I needed for my house, and seeing Sam. We were together as much as possible, but I started to notice that Sam looked tired. However, he wouldn't talk about it. My guess was that he wasn't sleeping well either.

I finally made it through the week, when the unexpected happened. Myla informed me that I had a visitor and when I went up to the front of the clinic, I found someone I wasn't expecting to see, someone whom I hadn't even thought about since I'd been in La Push. It was my former boyfriend, Russ Stemons.

"Russ! What are you doing here?" I asked giving him a friendly hug.

Myla watched our exchange with hopeful eyes. I'm sure hoping that I'd go back to California with Russ, leaving Sam available for her. Sam! What was I going to tell him?

"Tea, oh I'm so glad to see you," he said, giving me another hug.

"And I have to ask again, what are you doing here?"

"When I heard about the plane crash, I had to find you. I had hell at that stupid mission's office trying to find out exactly where you were. I finally told them I was your fiancé."

"You what?" I practically yelled.

It was almost five o'clock, so I told Myla I was leaving for the day, and ushered Russ back to my little house. When we were inside, he looked at me, and I almost felt sorry for him, until I remembered how upset I was that he'd lied to the mission's office.

"Russ. I don't know why you're here..."

"No Tea, I don't know why _you're_ here? You could have gotten a job at St. Marie's Hospital in Sacramento making three times what you're making here and we would have still been together. I don't understand why you had to go running off to this God forsaken place?"

I tried to calm down as I walked over and sat down at my dining room table. He had no right coming here and he had no right telling me how I should live my life.

"Russ, I came here to help people. It's not about how much money I can make, it's about feeling good at the end of the day knowing I've made a difference. I felt very strongly about my decision to move here and now even more so. You and I said our goodbyes a while back."

He came over and knelt down beside me, taking my hand in his, "when I thought you were dead. I knew that letting you go was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I want you to come back. I want us to start over, maybe even get married. I need you Tea."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He'd never expressed himself like this before, that's one of the reasons I found it so easy to end our relationship. But now, here he was confessing his soul and I didn't know what to say. I'd started a new life now and it didn't include him, but I didn't want to hurt him. After all, he flew all the way out here to find me.

I was trying to collect my thoughts when the front door opened. I knew it was Sam before I ever saw him, and from the look on his face, it was as if he had heard every word that had just been said. He looked not only devastated but also furious.

Russ stood up first and turned to see who was at the door. He looked at Sam and back at me, and turned white. I got up and went to Sam before saying anything.

"Sam. I'd like you to meet....."

"Hello, I'm Russ Stemons, Tea's fiancé," he said, holding out his hand to shake Sam's.

Sam was trembling and his fists were balled up so tight I thought they might burst. I reached out to grab Sam by the arm but he pushed past me, and walked right up to Russ.

"What are you doing in her house?" he asked almost growling.

"Russ, you're not my fiancé and I don't know why you're telling people that."

"Look, I don't know what's going on here, but I want you to come back to California."

"I'm not going anywhere with you Russ. I've made this my home for now and I'm staying here."

I could tell that Sam was livid. He looked like he could tear Russ apart and that was my cue to get him out of there, so I could handle Russ and get him to leave too.

"Sam. I need to see you in the bedroom," I said, pushing against his chest.

He didn't budge, until I said please and took his hand in mine, making him have eye contact with me. We walked into the bedroom and I closed the door.

"Sam. I'm sorry this is happening. I had no I idea that he was coming here."

He didn't say anything, he just looked at me and I felt the weight of his emotions pulling me down. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and close the rest of the world out, but I still had Russ to deal with.

"Sam, I want you to go home and wait for me. I'll call you when I've taken care of this problem. Okay?"

"I. Am. Not. Leaving. You. Alone. With. Him," he said, through gritted teeth.

"Well I can't very well leave you locked up in here. I need you to go calm down."

He looked at me for a long time, we stared into each other's eyes, then he walked to the door, opened it, and I thought I heard him growl as he walked out the front door and left. I had no idea of how what was happening would affect our relationship, but it was the only thing I could think to do.

"What was his problem?" Russ asked, when I came back to the kitchen.

"You can't just waltz in here like you own the place—like you own me. I'm building a life here now."

"Are you seeing that guy? Are you sleeping with him? I can't....you wouldn't even sleep with me because of your _principals_. I can't believe this. I came all the way...."

"First of all, it's none of your business what I'm doing here or who I'm with. Secondly, yes Sam and I are sort of seeing each other. He saved my life Russ. And lastly, I am very touched that you cared enough about me to come here, but I have a new life now and it's here and it _may_ be with Sam, so I need you to go back to California and go on with your life," I said, as the stress of the last hour began making me tired.

"So that's it? You get saved by some Indian dude and you think you're in, what _love_, with him? Or do you just feel you need to repay him by giving yourself away?"

I don't know what came over me, but I felt so defensive about Sam and myself after he was making these implications, that I slapped him. I didn't mean to, but it happened and I stood there covering my mouth as I started to choke on the tears that were building.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…," I whispered, but I knew by the look on his face that he knew where I stood.

"I'm glad you're alive, Tea. But I get it. I'll leave, but I want you to know I love you," and those were his final words as he walked out the door.

I stood there for a while, alone and crying until I had pulled myself together enough to call Sam. I didn't know where this incident had left us, and feared what would happen when he and I could finally talk.

The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer. I began to panic, so I called Jake. Sam had given me a list of all his family's numbers earlier in the week and I didn't know what else to do.

"Hello, Jake. I'm so sorry to bother you. I'm okay. No actually I'm not. It's a long story. But right now I need to find Sam and I can't get him to answer his phone. I need to talk to him, but I don't know where he is," and then I was crying again.

Jake told me he and Bella would be right over. When they got there, I quickly explained everything to them and Jake told me he would go find Sam, and that Bella and I could talk while he was gone. Bella fixed us a cup of tea and we sat down to drink it, as I tried to pull myself together.

"I had no idea he was coming here. I said goodbye to him before I came here and I wanted things to work out for Sam and I, but now...."

"Tehya, you're going to find out soon enough that Sam loves you more than anything. What you two have is very special. Don't you feel the connection?"

"Yes I do and I've never known anything so powerful. That's what I'm afraid of. I don't want to lose him. I haven't even told him how I feel yet. I'm in love with him Bella. I know it sounds crazy—insane even, but I love him so much."

"He knows deep down, but you need to tell him. He'll be back and everything will work out. You'll see," she said, placing her hand on mine as I rested it on the table.

I was feeling better by the time Jake came in, but Sam wasn't with him.

"Jake, where's Sam?" I asked, getting to my feet.

"He'll be here in a few minutes. He's fine. He was just really shocked to see...well to see you with someone else. I explained everything to him, but you two need to have a heart to heart."

"I know."

"It'll be okay," Jake said, as he and Bella gave me a quick hug, then they left and I waited for Sam.

My eyes were getting heavy as I lay across the couch waiting for Sam to show up. It had been almost an hour and still no sign of him. Then I heard a soft knock on the door.

I got up, rubbing my eyes and opened the door. Sam came in and looked around like he was expecting to see someone. When he seemed satisfied, he sat down on the couch, with his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry if I over reacted earlier. You just have no idea how hard it is for me, thinking of you with someone else. Why didn't you tell me about him before?"

"I honestly never thought of him myself. He and I had dated for about a year while I was finishing nursing school. I'd broken things off when I told him I was coming up here to work. We'd parted and that was it. I had no idea he would show up here."

"What all did he tell you?"

"He....he....told me that he still loved me and wanted me to come back to California and marry him. When he heard about the crash it made him rethink things."

"How do you feel?" he asked, finally looking up at me.

I went to him and sat down on the floor on my knees, holding his hands in mine in front of me, so I was just inches away from his face.

"I told him that I belonged here. That I was starting a new life, maybe even a new life _wi_..._with you _and that this is what I wanted. I told him to go back home and go on with his life."

We looked at each other for a long time. Sam's gaze probing mine for hints that I was not telling the whole story, but I never looked away. I wanted him to know where I stood.

"Tell me how you feel about me. I want you to tell me the truth," Sam said, as his eyes burned into mine.

"I.....think I'm falling in love with you. It's hard to understand, but that's what I feel inside—in my heart. It's also hard to explain, but when I first saw you, that day in the plane, I felt something then, even when I was disoriented. I was drawn to you, but I couldn't just come right out and say it when I woke up. You'd have thought I had _serious_ head injuries."

"No, I wouldn't have. I knew that you were special the moment I laid eyes on you. And it became even more evident as we got to know each other and then that night at Embry's.... There are things you need to hear from my people Tehya—things you need to know. We're having a gathering tomorrow night at the council hall and the elders will be there telling of the legends of my people. I need you to come and listen and learn about us—about me."

I wasn't sure what learning of the Quiluete legends had to do with what Sam and I were going through, but for him I would go. If it was what he needed then I would do it for him.

"You know I will Sam, if you're still willing have me around after today?"

Sam ran his hand slowly over my hair and down my check then he pulled me up, so I was resting between his legs and his arms were wrapped around my waist. Our eyes met, the burning fire and sparks started to dance along my skin, and he leaned in to touch his lips to mine, whispering. "Always baby, always," then we became tangled in a kiss that made my heart ache to know him more.

His hands moved up my back and he took my head carefully between then, pulling me closer to him. He slid one hand back down my back, rubbing small circles at the base of my spine, as he began pulling me toward him further.

The heat and friction between us was combustible. I never knew two bodies could burn so intensely for one another, but I was feeling the results of it as we moved with each other in perfect harmony. My arms were now around his neck, and when we tried to catch our breath, I found myself roaming down the smooth bronze skin of his neck.

He smelled so good to me, and I wondered if everyone could detect his scent or if it was just me. I hoped it was just me and I liked the thought of having something of him that was private, just for me to enjoy.

When I felt the vibrations of the moan that came from deep in his chest, I decided I better try to pull away, even if every part of me wanted to keep going and explore the rest of him. I wanted to do this right and I didn't want to mess things up by rushing it.

"I bet you're hungry," I said, in between kisses to his neck and ear.

"You have _no idea_ how hungry I am, baby," he moaned and I literally shuddered at the sexy sound of his voice.

I began pulling away and trying to get a grip on myself. Slowly he loosened his grip and I stood up, walking toward the kitchen, until our hands lost contact with each other.

I had picked up steaks earlier in the week, along with some pans and dishes, so I put the steaks in the oven to broil, popped a couple of potatoes in the microwave, and threw together a pasta salad.

I watched Sam watching me. He still hadn't been able to stand up yet, and the thought of him wanting me that badly, made me have a little power trip. I would have to remember that for the future, I thought smiling to myself.

After we ate, and talked through how we felt about what had happened. I told Sam I was tired and wanted to take a shower. He said he would wait and when I got out and came to join him again in the living room, he was stretched out on the couch. He had his arms folded behind his head and looked up at me with a smile.

"I can't leave you alone tonight, so don't even ask me to go. After today, I just have to be close to you, so I'm sleeping on your couch."

"I guess I can't argue with that. Do you want to take a shower?"

"I took one before I came over, so I'm okay," he said, kicking his shoes off, "I'll be fine here, you look tired so go get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

I bent down and kissed him gently, told him goodnight, then climbed into bed. I settled in trying to relax and the first thing I noticed was that I didn't have the strange pain in my chest, then it dawned on me, that I hadn't had it at all when Sam had been close by.

It wasn't long before I was drifting off to sleep. At first it was a sound peaceful sleep. Then I began to have the same dream I'd had several nights ago. This time, however, Sam and I were walking along a deserted beach; the waves were slowly ebbing to and fro. I heard the whistling sound above my head and looked up just as the ball of flames came crashing down right on Sam, again he was swept away from me and I was frantically searching for him in the flames.

I must have been screaming, I remember hearing someone say, "Sam. Sam, don't leave me," and realized it was me.

Then I felt the warmth and a feeling of serenity flooded my senses and I knew he was there before I ever opened my eyes.

"Baby, it's okay. I wish I could take these bad dreams away. Shh, it's okay," he said, as he pulled me onto his chest and rubbed my back and shoulders with both of his large warm hands. I formed myself to his side and held onto him.

"I....keep having this dream....and there's a plane.....crashing and flames and you're gone and I feel so lost and I'm looking for you and...."

"It's okay. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

With the soothing sound of Sam's voice and his reassurances, I snuggled up on his shoulder and went back to sleep. I wasn't sure I had moved the entire night, but I must have, because when I opened my eyes finally the next morning, I was laying on my side with my body form fitted perfectly to the curve of a warm, lean, hard body that could only be Sam's.

His arm was draped lazily over me, and I felt like he had been there to protect me from my nightmares. I'm sure my face was red, as I thought about having actually slept with Sam in a bed, even if nothing had actually happened.

I lay there for a long time, studying his hand and forearm. Letting my fingers softly touch his skin, my mind began to ponder over all the ways his hand could touch me and how I knew it would send me into a sea of endless pleasure. I felt almost ashamed of myself for thinking such thoughts about this man who, so far, had kept his actions honorable.

I lay there for a long while, before slipping out from under Sam's arm. He made a noise, and I turned to watch him sleep for a few minutes. His rugged beauty was breathtaking and it made my heart feel warm seeing him in such a peaceful, yet vulnerable state.

I went to the bathroom, freshened up, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. I had pancakes, sausage, and orange juice waiting, when he finally got up, I'm sure following the smell of the food. He looked like a little boy rubbing his head and he took my breath away, when I saw he still hadn't slipped on his T-shirt.

"Good morning sleepy head," I said, still eyeing his physic, as he crossed the room.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I knew you needed a few more minutes. You looked tired," I offered.

Sam smiled then went to the bathroom to freshen up, and brush his teeth. I had even gotten a spare tooth brush this week, not knowing when it might come in handy. Then he and I ate breakfast.

The rest of the day we spent doing laundry at his house, we ate lunch, then we sat in front of the fire and talked most of the afternoon. By the end of the day, I felt we both had a good knowledge of each other's past.

The day had passed quickly and it was almost six o'clock. Sam said it was time to go to the council hall for the gathering, so we got our things and left. It was cold and a light snow had begun to fall, but I was quickly warmed when we got to the hall.

We gathered with the rest of Sam's brothers, their spouses and Quil's girlfriend, and a small group, whom Sam said were their elders. We ate, talked quietly, and I was able to sample many delicious traditional Quileute dishes that had been prepared by the people of La Push for generations.

Then we sat down around a big cheminea that was made of red clay material, perched on a large rock hearth, and vented through roof. It was the largest indoor fire I'd ever seen. The elders gathered around the fire and the lights were dimmed.

Sam pulled me in close and I sat between his legs, resting against his chest. I was mesmerized by what was taking place and felt honored that they'd let me be a part of something so sacred. I listened as Billy, Jake's dad, began to speak, and Sue, Leah and Seth's mom, came forward and handed Billy a very large old leather book.

Billy opened the book and I listened to every word he spoke and felt goose bumps form on my arms as he told of the legend of the _spirit warriors, _how the Quileute's had actually descended from the wolves, and the cold ones.

He read about Chief Taha Aki and Utlapa and when he got to a part in the story about a woman known as the third wife, I felt the tears trickle down my cheek. I thought it was such a selfless sacrifice to offer her own life to save that of her family. Sam held me tighter, like he was afraid I would run away, but I listened, absorbing every word that was said.

When Billy was finished reading, he closed the old book and looked right at me. Then he spoke in a solemn tone as he continued.

"And this consecrated responsibility has been handed down throughout the generations so that we have our own _wolf protectors _even today," Billy motioned, and I felt Sam shift behind me as he kissed me softly on the neck and got up, going to stand in front of the fire, "Sam is the leader, the Alpha of our protectors. Jake is the beta and Paul, Jared, Embry, Quil, Leah, and Seth, are the remaining members of the group."

One by one they got up and went to stand beside Sam, fanning out on either side of him in formation. Sam never took his eyes off of me. I was still in awe of the legends, thinking this was some type of symbolic gesture, until Bella and Rachel moved over to sit beside me. They each put their arms around me as if to help support me and when I looked back at Sam, something flashed through my mind. I remembered the howling wolf several nights ago and how much comfort I had felt when I heard it and how the pain in my chest had stopped, just like it stopped when _Sam was near me._

Sam's eyes were locked on mine, and I could see him pleading for some sort of understanding. I felt the room begin to spin and I wasn't sure I could hold it together, but I knew this was all real, whether I wanted to believe it or not.

Bella and Rachel each patted me on the shoulder as I listened to Billy continue, "yes these are our protectors and those who remain seated carry with them this sacred knowledge, but are bound by a promise never to reveal the truth."

I looked at Bella and followed her gaze to Jake, Rachel was looking at Paul, Kim couldn't take her eyes off of Jared, and Sheena was staring at Quil. I saw the connection between them and I could actually feel the love that they shared so deeply for each other, then my eyes found Sam, and I saw the same look coming from him and I knew there was no way he could ever hurt me when he loved me so much, even if he was a _wolf_.

* * *

**NOTES**

I hope everyone has enjoyed this story and for those of you who have read it and commented, I greatly appreciate you doing so. For those of you who read it and didn't comment, I appreciate you too, but you can comment, it doesn't hurt. ;)

Now, for all those who want to know THE REST OF THE STORY, please note that I am working on the sequel. There is no way I could even begin to get into what happens with Sam and Tehya with the word limit of 25,000, so I will be continuing this story. Thank you all!!!

**Update:** I have started the sequel to this story and it's titled "A Stranger In My Arms," so I hope you'll check it out. This story just had to continue.


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